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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rock — a stone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. kid — child
  5. rock — music
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bark — to shout
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. charge — a price
  20. toast — bread
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kid — to tease

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com